Whooping cough cases increase in the United States

CLEVELAND - Outbreaks of whooping cough are happening throughout the country. Doctors says it serves as a reminder to make sure you and your children are up to date on vaccinations.

Whooping cough is also known as pertussis, a highly contagious respiratory tract infection. It’s especially dangerous to babies under 6 months old because they are too young to be vaccinated. Pertussis can be deadly.

The Centers for Disease Control is reporting an increase of cases in several states, but an epidemic in California.

The childhood vaccine is called DTaP. The booster vaccine for adolescents and adults is called Tdap. Both of these guard against whooping cough, tetanus and diphtheria.

You can learn more about pertussis by going to the special section on the CDC's website . There's even an opportunity to hear what a whooping cough sounds like in a child.